‘Sweet Spot’ With Mike Sugerman: Kava Is All The Craze In Brooklyn

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The Food and Drug Administration warns it can cause liver damage, some countries have banned it or made it available only by prescription, and they’re lapping it up by the bowlful in Brooklyn.

Kava – the South Pacific root made into a tea.

“Yeah the drink is great,” said Sabrina Cheng.

“Just like chamomile times 10,” Matt Gliva added.

It’s also called “nature’s Xanax.”

You might be surprised by the people who have tried it and very much like it.

“Kava is really a drug unlike any other drug that I’ve experienced,” said barista Tim McNesh.

Brooklyn Kava is one of three kava bars currently serving it in New York City. It’s a cozy place where regulars gather.

“I came here on a date about a year ago and I started coming every day since,” Gliva said. “My first time was very intense.”

“I have smoked marijuana, I have tried hallucinogenic, I was prescribed Adderall and Concerta when I was young, and kava is a field all of its own,” said McNesh.

“It’s more like a sense of euphoria than anything else, it’s calming,” Cheng said.